Line casting machine



1963 ROSSETTO ETAL 7,

LINE CASTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1957 INVENTORS WILLIAM B. ABBOTT y Lou/5 ROSSETTO ATTO E Y5 United States Patent ()fiice 3,6712% Patented Feb. 12, 1953 3,077,269 HNE CAS'liNG MAG-ENE Louis Rossetti}, Kings Point, and William Barkley Abbott, Baldwin, N.Y., assignors to Mergenthaler Linotype (Iompany, a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 646,100 5 Claims. (Cl. 199-56) This invention relates to line casting machines of the general organization represented in US. Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler, No. 436,532, wherein a type bar r slug is cast in a slotted mold against a composed line of matrices and then forced out of the mold and into a galley by an ejector which advances against the rear edge thereof. As is Well known, the mold is removably mounted on a rotatable disk which, during each machine cycle of operation, is first rotated through 90 to carry the mold from the ejecting to the casting position and then through 270 to carry the mold from the casting postio-n back to the ejecting position. Ordinarily, the disk is equipped with four molds, any one of which may be selected for use by a manual rotary adjustment of the casting Wheel.

In order to avoid overheating of the mold in use, it is customary to provide the disk with a liquid cooling system. In some arrangements, cooling tubes or conduits are disposed along the hub, rim or face of the disk and are exposed to damage. in other arrangements, cooling channels are formed directly in the mold bodies themselves but these arrangements have not been successful, since they are too complicated and prevent the free interchange of the molds.

The present invention is intended to eliminate the above and other objections and contemplates a liquid cooling system which, on the one hand, effects an adequate cooling of the mold in use even when very large and long slugs are being cast and which, on the other hand, permits the ready removal and replacement of the molds independ ently. Moreover, the cooling System includes circulation tubes which partly surround the individual molds and which, instead of being built into the molds, are made separate therefrom but are united to the molds so as thus to permit the molds to be readily removed and replaced. Other features will appear from the detailed description which follows.

Referring to the drawings:

MG. 1 is a front elevation of a mold disk constructed in accordance with the invention;

PEG. 2 is a front elevation, partly in section, of one of the mold caps and its cooling tube detached from the mold disk;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the central portion of the mold disk and showing how the cooling agent is supplied to the cooling tubes for the several molds;

FIG. 5 is a face view, taken from the front, of the circular plate in which the inlet passages are formed, the

late being broken away to expose the passages;

FIG. 6 is another vertical section through the central portion of the mold disk and showing how the cooling agent is carried away from the cooling tubes;

FiG. 7 is a face view, taken from the rear, of the circular plate in which the inlet passages are formed but which also closes the annular chamber that connects all of the outlet passages formed in the mold disk; and

PEG. 8 is a sectional end view of the fixed journal stud on which the mold disk is rotatably mounted and showing the inlet and outlet passages formed in said stud.

The rotatable mold disk 1 is shown as provided with four mold containing pockets 2, although the invention is of course applicable to disks having a larger or smaller number of pockets. In these pockets, slug casting molds 2 of the usual longitudinally slotted design are inserted, each mold consisting of an upper or cup portion 3, a lower or body portion 4, and two intermediate end pieces or liners 5. The mold disk is formed on its outer periphery, radially outward of the mold containing pockets, with a gear teeth rim portion 6 by which it is rotated. At its center, the mold disk presents a hub portion '7 mounted to 1'0- taate on a fixed journal stud 8 secured to the customary mold slide (not shown).

The molds are mounted for independent removal in a facewise direction from the mold disk. Thus, each mold is detach-ably connected to the mold disk by means of four screws 9 which pass through the mold body 4 and are threaded into the web portion of the disk. Another screw 10, threaded in the rim portion 6, bears down upon the mold cap 3 and clamps it tightly in place upon the liners 5 which, in turn (by the same action), are clamped tightly upon the mold body 4-. By loosening the clamping screw 1% and removing the fastening screws 9, any one of the molds may be removed facewise as a whole from the mold disk. In FIG. 2, the mold cap 3 .of the lowermost mold is shown as removed, leaving'the mold body 4- in place. This showing is intended primarily for the sake of illustration in connection with the cooling tubes presently to be described.

It may also be noted at this point that each of the molds is adjustable to vary the length or height of the mold slot Without necessitating the removal of the mold as a whole. Such adjustment may be accomplished merely by loosening the clamping screw it) to permit the removal of the liners 5 and then tightening up the screw to reapply clamping pressure to the mold cap when the substitute liners have been inserted in place. As evident, the variation in the height of the mold slot involves a radial inward or outward movement of the mold cap.

Turning now to the present invention:

Each mold is partially surrounded by a cooling tube 11 which is made separate from the mold but which is united thereto for removal as a unit therewith. In the drawings, the cooling tube is shown as united only to the mold cap 3, its middle portion extending longitudinally of the mold cap and seated in a groove cut in the curved top surface of the cap (see FIG. 3) forward of the front face of the mold disk. The union may be effected in any suitable manner, as by brazing, soldering or welding. In that way, the cooling tube is not only made a permanent part of the mold cap but, in addition, a good heat conducting contact is formed between the tube and the mold cap. The end portions of the tube are bent around the ends of the mold so as to extend inwardly toward the center of the mold disk, the body portion 4 of the mold being bevelled off, as at 4, to provide for the necessary clearance. The opposite ends of the tube are connected by a curved plate 12 which is fastened by screws 13 to the front face of the mold disk. It is pointed out that the screws pass through elongated openings 13 which permit the mold cap to be adjusted radially inward or outward.

The open ends of the cooling tube are secured in a liquid tight manner to the connecting plate 12 and communicate with rearwardly opening inlet and outlet ports 14 and 15, respectively, formed in said plate. These inlet and outlet ports in turn communicate with the outer ends of dog legged inlet and outlet passages 16 and 17, respectively, formed in the mold disk, gaskets 18 being employed to seal the joints between the connecting plate and the mold disk (FIG. 4-). The ports 14 and 15 are elongated to maintain communication with the passages 16 and 17 in all adjusted positions of the mold cap.

At their inner ends, the inlet passages 16 formed in the mold disk for all four mold cooling tubes communicate with ports 19 formed in the rear side of a circular plate or disk 2%} (FIGS. 1 and 4) detachahly secured by screws 28 to the front face of the mold disk at the center, suitable gaskets being employed to seal the joints between the plate and the mold disk. The ports 19 lead from four passages 21 formed in the circular plate 20 (FIG. these passages intersecting at the center of the pl'ate'and communicating with a common entrance nipple-22. This nipple 22 is located at the center of the plate (which is in the axis of rotation of the mold disk) and projects rearwardly therefrom into the stationary journal stud 8 for rotation therein (FIG. 4). At the rear, the nipple 22 communicates with an inlet passage 23 formed in the journal stud 8 and leading from a supply pipe 24 for the cooling agent. An annular gasket 25 surrounds the nipple 22 and forms a liquid tight seal between the nipple and the journal stud.

At their outer ends, the outlet passages 17 formed in the mold disk for all four mold cooling tubes lead into a common annular chamber 26 formed around the nipple 22 between the circular plate 26 and the mold disk and journal stud (FIGS. 4, 6 and 7). Gaskets 27 and 28 seal the joint between the mold disk hub 7 and the journal stud 8. The annular chamber 26 opens into an outlet passage 29 extending rearwardly through the journal stud and communicating with an outlet pipe 30 for the cooling agent. FIG. 8' shows the relative positions of the inlet and outlet passages formed in the journal stud.

It will now be clear that the cooling agent is'circulated continuously through all of the mold cooling'tubes from acommon source of supply, entering the system from the supply pipe 24 and leaving the system by way of the outlet pipe 39. It is proposed to employ a closed circulatingsystern which will include" a low pressure pump operated at whatever speed may be desired to produce the required cooling elfect. Any suitable liquid, such as water or oil, may be employed as the cooling agent.

When it is desired to remove any particular mold, the circulation of the cooling agent will be temporarily suspended and the liquid drawn back into the reservoir so as to empty the mold cooling tubes before the mold is removed. Ordinarily (for the sake of better accessibility), the mold disk is rotated to locate the mold to be removed in the topmost position, so that fairly complete drainage of the liquid from the mold cooling tube will be insured before the mold is removed. In FIGS. 1 to 3, the mold cap of the mold occupying the lowermost position is shown as removed but this illustration is intended only to bring out that each mold cooling tube is integral with the cap and forms a permanent part thereof.

It is pointed out that the circular passages formed in the mold disk and the journal stud aid considerably in the cooling of the mold disk as well as of the molds, especially the mold body portions 4 which are located much nearer to the center of the disk than the cap portions 3.

Theinvention has been shown merely in preferred form and by way ofexample and many changes and variations may be, made therein. without departing from its spirit.

Itshould be understood therefore that the invention is not limited toany specificformor embodiment except insofar as such limitations are specifiedinthe appended claims.

mold mounted within said pocket and comprising a cap portion formed with a curved top surface conforming to the curvature of the upper wall of the mold pocket and protruding forwardly beyond the front face of the mold disk, said cap portion being removable forwardly in a facewise direction, an open ended cooling tube made separate from but united permanently to the cap portion and located forwardly of the front face of the mold disk so as to be removable in a facewise direction with the cap portion, said cooling tube having a middle portion conforming to the curvature of the top surface of the cap portion and seated in a groove cut in the forwardly protruding areathereof, and said cooling tube also having end portions bent around the ends of the mold and converging inwardly toward the center of the mold disk, and fluid circulation passages formed in the mold disk and communicating in a fluid tightbut detachable manner with the open ends of the cooling tube, together with a plate removablly attached to the front face of the mold disk and connecting the opposite ends of the cooling tube, said plate having rearwardly facing inlet and outlet passages communicating ina fluid tight manner with the open ends of'thetube and with thefluid passages. formed in the mold disk.

2'. A combination according to. claim 1', including gasketsto' seal theijoints betweenthe rearwardly facing inlet and outlet passages formed in the tube connecting plate and the fluid circulation passagesv formed in the mold disk.

3. A combination according to claim 2, wherein the circulation passages of the mold disk-.are' formed partly in a circular plate removably attached to the front face of the disk and having an inlet opening located in the axis of rotation of said disk, and including gaskets to seal the'joints between the circular plate and the mold disk.

4. A combination according to claim 3, including a stationary stud on which the mold disk is mounted, said stud having an inlet passage extending therethrough and communicating with the inlet opening of the removable plate, together with a gasket to seal the joint between the stud and the removable plate.

5. A combination according to claim 3, including a stationary stud on which the mold disk is rotatably mounted, and wherein the outlet passages in the mold disk include an annular chamber encircling the stud and communicating with an outlet passage extending therethrough, said annular chamber being closed at the front by the circular plate, together with gaskets to seal the joints between the circular plate and the mold disk as well as the stationary stud.

References Cited in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 977,280 Degener Nov. 28, 1910 1,596,943 Petersen Aug. 24, 1926 1,706,767 Blume Mar. 26, 1929 2,035,443 Albrecht Mar. 31, 1936 2,043,755 Kingsbury June 9, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 720,937 Great Britain Dec. 29, 1954 725,035 Great Britain Mar. 2, 1955 

1. IN OR FOR A LINE CASTING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF A ROTATABLE MOLD DISK FORMED WITH A MOLD CONTAINING POCKET HAVING A CURVED UPPER WALL, A LONGITUDINALLY SLOTTED MOLD MOUNTED WITHIN SAID POCKET AND COMPRISING A CAP PORTION FORMED WITH A CURVED TOP SURFACE CONFORMING TO THE CURVATURE OF THE UPPER WALL OF THE MOLD POCKET AND PROTRUDING FORWARDLY BEYOND THE FRONT FACE OF THE MOLD DISK, SAID CAP PORTION BEING REMOVABLE FORWARDLY IN A FACEWISE DIRECTION, AN OPEN ENDED COOLING TUBE MADE SEPARATE FROM BUT UNITED PERMANENTLY TO THE CAP PORTION AND LOCATED FORWARDLY OF THE FRONT FACE OF THE MOLD DISK SO AS TO BE REMOVABLE IN A FACEWISE DIRECTION WITH THE CAP PORTION, SAID COOLING TUBE HAVING A MIDDLE PORTION CONFORMING TO THE CURVATURE OF THE TOP SURFACE OF THE CAP PORTION AND SEATED IN A GROOVE CUT IN THE FORWARDLY PROTRUDING AREA THEREOF, AND SAID COOLING TUBE ALSO HAVING END PORTIONS BENT AROUND THE ENDS OF THE MOLD AND CONVERGING INWARDLY TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE MOLD DISK, AND FLUID CIRCULATION PASSAGES FORMED IN THE MOLD DISK AND COMMUNICATING IN A FLUID TIGHT BUT DETACHABLE MANNER WITH THE OPEN ENDS OF THE COOLING TUBE, TOGETHER WITH A PLATE REMOVABLY ATTACHED TO THE FRONT FACE OF THE MOLD DISK AND CONNECTING THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE COOLING TUBE, SAID PLATE HAVING REARWARDLY FACING INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGES COMMUNICATING IN A FLUID TIGHT MANNER WITH THE OPEN ENDS OF THE TUBE AND WITH THE FLUID PASSAGES FORMED IN THE MOLD DISK. 